The Ninth Annual Human Rights Awards was a great success! The sold out event included inspirational speeches by three incredible honorees, witty banter by event emcees Ben & Jerry (in tuxedos!), and the participation of the entire Global Exchange staff, board, and community. All in all, a great success. But don’t take my word for it; check out the pics!
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Despite the peaceful rally in Juarez last week, violent repression has not ended and your direct help is again being urgently requested in the kidnapping cases of Malena Reyes, Elías Reyes and Luisa Ornelas Soto, Elias’ wife. Send a letter to the Mexican authorities to denounce the kidnapping and demand the immediate appearance of Malena, Elias Reyes and his wife, Luisa Ornelas Soto alive.
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As we pay fifty cents to walk across the bridge from El Paso Texas to Ciudad Juárez on Friday night the sunset is beautiful, but I am nervous and a little scared. We’ve driven 20 hours overnight from San Francisco to participate in a fast for peace and public commemoration of the massacre of 18 high school students planned for the weekend.
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It was a remarkable mass for a remarkable man. The news spread rapidly yesterday morning of the death of Bishop Samuel Ruiz. By 2:30 the Mexico City church had filled with an unusual group of religious leaders, peace activists and figures who have marked Mexican politics over the years. All recalled their work alongside Tatik (“father” in Tzeltal) with a bittersweet blend of loss and gratitude.
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This week, in a counterpoint to the unrelenting grim news coming out of Mexico and particularly from Ciudad Juárez, a new peace initiative was announced by civil society and religious organizations who are saying: No More Blood.
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2011 is finally here. So now seems as good a time as any to take stock of everything we’ve accomplished in the past year, to draw together our challenges and victories and lay them out there for you to see. Since there isn’t space enough to showcase everything, we’ve selected a few of our favorite highlights from 2010 to share with you:
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I’m just about to meet my international and Mexican traveling companions for the next week and board the Via Campesina caravan from Acapulco, Mexico. First stop on this journey today will be to the much disputed potential site of the mega hydro-electric dam called La Parota and meet with community members and the organization Consejo de Ejidos y Comunidades Opositores a la Prensa La Parota (CECOP).
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In Cancun both La Via Campesina and Dialogo Climatico – Espacio Mexicano are organizing spaces for activist convergence, workshops and panels. Information about on the ground in Cancun organizing is here!
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As autumn rolls out, the Rights of Nature roll in with a dynamic movement building across the globe. How can we as humans alter our relationship with nature from that of ownership to one of harmony? We are pleased to share that world leaders such as Vandana Shiva, Maude Barlow, and 2010 Right Livelihood Awardee Nnimmo Bassey are joining us in a new paradigm shift: the Rights of Nature.
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At its 200th year of independence, Mexico is in a pitched battle for law and order against powerful drug cartels. Guest columnist Ted Lewis argues the U.S. can help its neighbor by consideration of drug legalization to stem the demand and by clamping down on the easy supply of assault weapons.
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